Ok i just got him last week. I have fed him bloodworms, betta fish pellets, flakes, and now life spectrum pellets. he wont swallow them. he spits them all out. he isnt sick he swims around in heated aquarium all the time. he has never swallowed one i dont think. hes swimming in front of me back in forth right now looking at me... whta the heck!! i dont want him to die

He may just have to get used to different food, has he eaten anything since you had him? Just keep being persistant, and try again, but if the food does not float, as the New life does not and BW's if Freeze dried are to be used as treats only..I would opt for another type of pellet,

bettas sometimes like to chase the food, but if it drops, and they dont see it, they wont be able to eat it, you may want something that floats, Hakari Gold does, and it's very tiny gives your betta a chance to see it, and eat it, and you will know exactly if and when your fishy is eating..There is also Omega One, and they barely float, but I am currently using them, and so far so good, I shut off the filter to make sure they dont get away")

He may just have to get used to different food, has he eaten anything since you had him? Just keep being persistant, and try again, but if the food does not float, as the New life does not and BW's if Freeze dried are to be used as treats only..I would opt for another type of pellet,

bettas sometimes like to chase the food, but if it drops, and they dont see it, they wont be able to eat it, you may want something that floats, Hakari Gold does, and it's very tiny gives your betta a chance to see it, and eat it, and you will know exactly if and when your fishy is eating..There is also Omega One, and they barely float, but I am currently using them, and so far so good, I shut off the filter to make sure they dont get away")

I would just keep trying, but if he absolutley refuses, then try a different pellet, these fishy's are very picky, though I am surprized he is not eating the New life, they are high in protein, and considered one of the best pellets.

You could also try a Frozen BW, or Frozen brine shrimp..there is also an option of soaking the pellets in garlic juice..as some members do to entice the appetite, and to get their fishy's to eat. I sure hope something helps he should come around soon:)

One of my newist boys, Legolas, has been with me for about a week and a half and JUST today started to actually eat his pellets. For the past week and a half, all he did though was pick them up and spit them out a few times before finally giving up. I tried crushing, soaking, different brands....nothing seemed to make any difference. He just kept picking them up and spitting them out.
I've actually never had a betta do this two me for this long before, I was started to get frustrated and a little worried....but I kept offering him the pellets and just removing what he didn't eat, and eventually he...well, ate them. xD I assume he was just being a bit of a brat. I had fed him frozen bloodworms a couple of times on bloodworm nights, which he seemed to eat just fine, so he was just being difficult and picky I think.

So just keep at it! Keep offering him the pellets, and just the pellets, and eventually he'll eat them. The NLS shouldn't be too large for him, but as previously suggested you can soak the pellets in some fresh garlic juice or try crushing them up and see if he'll go for them then. You can also try a couple different brands like Omgea One or Hikari Bio-Gold and see if he takes to those any better, like lelei suggested.

ok he just was trying to eat fallen food on the floor of the tank and he kept eating it and then spitting it out... he is swimming around and looks fricken starving and its bugging me how he is spitting it all out... like he wants to eat and he tries to eaat but he spits it out... is he getting enough nutrition to live?

Quote:

Originally Posted by DragonFish

One of my newist boys, Legolas, has been with me for about a week and a half and JUST today started to actually eat his pellets. For the past week and a half, all he did though was pick them up and spit them out a few times before finally giving up. I tried crushing, soaking, different brands....nothing seemed to make any difference. He just kept picking them up and spitting them out.
I've actually never had a betta do this two me for this long before, I was started to get frustrated and a little worried....but I kept offering him the pellets and just removing what he didn't eat, and eventually he...well, ate them. xD I assume he was just being a bit of a brat. I had fed him frozen bloodworms a couple of times on bloodworm nights, which he seemed to eat just fine, so he was just being difficult and picky I think.

So just keep at it! Keep offering him the pellets, and just the pellets, and eventually he'll eat them. The NLS shouldn't be too large for him, but as previously suggested you can soak the pellets in some fresh garlic juice or try crushing them up and see if he'll go for them then. You can also try a couple different brands like Omgea One or Hikari Bio-Gold and see if he takes to those any better, like lelei suggested.

Bettas can go up to 3 weeks without food, he isn't going to starve to death after a few days or a week. Mine just started eating his pellets after a week and a half last night and he is perfectly fine. ;)

Whats his poo like? Is it normal little chunks of orangy-brown(which you should see on the bottom at least when you do the water change)or whiteish and stringy? What is your setup like? How many days exactly have you had him and has he eaten anything at all since you got him home?